Welcome
to Dr. Elzeiny Islamic Studies Class
1.
Homework must be emailed to hw@zeiny.net
2.
This is a site for translation of the
Holy Quran using easy English.
3.
Books about the Names of Allah [Book
1] [Book
2] [Brief
Meanings]
Choose for yourself. Where would you like to
live?
Week [1]:
September 9, 2018
Our Enemies.
Click here to listen to the class.
Homework:
Part I: If you have not done this already,
send me an email to hw@zeiny.net telling me
about yourself. What you want me to know about you. It is very confidential. I
will not share it with anyone. If you are using your parent’s email, you may
print it out and give to me in person. Please include a picture of yourself in
the email. You can take a selfie picture of yourself and email it to me.
Part II: Listen
to the audio recording of the class, read the notes below and answer the
following questions thoroughly. Short answers are not accepted. You must send
me the homework via email hw@zeiny.net
1. Why did Allah create?
2.
Why didn’t he create just angels
and trees that will cause no corruption?
3.
Who are our four enemies (evil
motives). Give examples.
4.
Why did Allah create the Shytan and his other enemies?
5.
If there is no meanness, would
kindness exist? Explain why?
6.
Can we have a free will if we
don’t have evil motives? Give an example of a creation of Allah that has no
evil motives at all. Are they being tested?
7.
What are the tests of
submission? Explain and give examples.
8.
Temptations are evil motives.
Give five examples of evil temptations.
9.
After the Shytan
starts the temptations, would he be able to make it grow? Explain.
10. If
no one can avoid the startup of temptations in his/her heart, how can we fight
temptations then?
11. Mention
the story of the man who was transformed to a monster due to temptations.
12. What
are the good motives? Give couple of illustrative examples of each.
13. Why
does Allah allow evil, pain and suffering?
14. Why
did people worship middle Gods? Explain how worshiping middle Gods would cause
you to be taking disadvantage of.
15. When
Allah said to the bad guys to pay charity, what did they say? How can you
respond?
16. If
you make a mistake, is there a way out of it? What is the story of the person
who killed 100 people?
17. What
are the mistakes that can’t be forgiven with repentance?
18. What
are the mistakes that can’t be forgiven without repentance?
19. If
you made a mistake and Allah forgave you and you made the mistake again, would
he forgive you? When would Allah stop forgiving you?
20. If
you made a mistake and Allah forgave you and you made the mistake again, would
Allah cancel his previous forgiveness?
21. When
bad people are asked to give charity to the poor and needy, they reply and say
that we are not going to feed them. Allah is the one that should feed them not
us. How would you reply to this
argument?
Notes:
Week [2]:
September 16, 2018
The Knowledge
of Allah.
Click here to listen to the class.
Homework:
Listen to the audio recording of the class, read
the notes below and answer the following questions thoroughly. Short answers
are not accepted. You must send me the homework via email hw@zeiny.net
Allah
knows everything that happen and would happen in the future. Allah guides whom
so ever he wills and misguides whom so ever he wills. Allah seals the ears of
the bad guys so that they can’t hear the truth. Allah blinds their eyes so that
they can’t see the truth. Allah locked their hearts from understanding the
truth. Allah already wrote everything that will happen in a book.
1. If this is the case, then how come we have freedom of choice.
2. He already wrote our deeds. We have no choice. How come he is
punishing the wrong doers.
3. Allah doesn’t want to guide me. It is not my fault. How do
you reply to that ridiculous argument?
4. How can I know your answer ahead of time without forcing you to
follow my answer?
5. What is the opposite of the statement "Allah guides whom so
ever he wants and misguides whomsoever he wants". Prove that the opposite
doesn't make any sense.
6. The names of Allah (الأول) means the first without start and the twin name of this name
is (الآخر) which means the last without end. Explain this in terms of
time. Use the example of the story board.
7. Explain how Allah controls the time and he does not change or age
with time.
8. On the other hand, he made the time able to age everything else.
Elaborate on the previous statement and use that to explain how Allah contains
time and everything else is contained in time.
9. Mention the story of Omer RA with the guy who was arguing that he
stole because it is the decree of Allah and it is not his fault. What was the
reply of Omer RA?
10. Is our will superior to Allah's will? The following Ayat in Surat
Al-Takweer [29:28-29] have the answer.
Explain them.
11. The knowledge of Allah is surrounding knowledge. What does that
mean?
Notes:
Week [3]:
September 23, 2018
The Name of
Allah Al-Wakeel (The One we depend on) Part 1
Click here to listen to the class.
Homework:
Listen to the audio recording of the class, read
the notes below and answer the following questions thoroughly. Short answers
are not accepted. You must send me the homework via email hw@zeiny.net
1.
What
is the meaning of the name Al-Wakeel
2. Since we cannot expect Allah to vacuum your carpet and wash your dishes,
then how do you depend on Allah in both of these tasks?
3. How do you reply to the one who says "If I do my part, then
there is nothing left for Allah to do".
4. Explain the word "Tawfeeq توفيق". Who does control Tawfeeq?
5. Explain the probability of failure?
6. Mention the story of tying the camel and how did Prophet Mohamed
comment on this?
7. How do you reply to the ones who say "I tied the camel, what
is left for Allah to do"?
8. How do I depend on Allah to heal my sicknesses?
9. What did Omar Ibn Al-khatab say
regarding the people who stayed in the Masjid claiming that they depend on
Allah to bring them sustenance? Explain?
10. The engineer who built Titanic said "Even God cannot sink
it". What happened and how did Allah make him fail.
11. Depending on Allah is the job of the heart. Doing your part is the
job of the brain and muscles. Explain this sentence with examples.
12. Explain
in details the plan of immigration of the Prophet SAW from Macca to Medina.
Notes:
Week [4]:
September 30, 2018
The Name of
Allah Al-Wakeel (The One we depend on) Part 2
Click here to listen to the class.
Homework:
Listen to the audio recording of the class, read the
notes below and answer the following questions thoroughly. Short answers are
not accepted. You must send me the homework via email hw@zeiny.net
1. What
is the law of be and it will be? Did Allah create and has been ruling the
universe using this law? Explain in details.
2. If
Allah will excuse anyone from using the laws of nature, who would be exempted.
3. If
you study, you pass. Muslim did not study and non-Muslim studied
4. Who was the woman of the two belts? Why did she get this name?
What was her relationship to the Prophet and Abo
Bakr? What was her role during the Prophet migration to Madina?
5. Who was the companion of the Prophet during his immigration?
6. Who was the person who was spying on the Arab Lords? How? What was
his relationship to Abo Baker Al-Sidiq?
7. Who was the guy that was trying to capture the Prophet SAW for a
prize? What was his name? And what was the prize? The Prophet promised his
something. What was it? Why did the Prophet promise him? When did this promise
become true, i.e. after what battle?
8. What is the meaning of the word desperate? How is it related to
this subject, which is how to depend on Allah?
9. When does Allah help you with unseen soldiers? How do you qualify
for them?
10. How many times the Prophet SAW plan of Higra
failed and what were the unseen soldier that Allah helped him with? Explain in
details.
11. Why did Allah make the Prophet follow the laws of nature in his
immigration to Madian but in the night journey he
gave him the miraculous animal called Al-Borak? Why?
What is the difference between both the night journey and the Higra?
12. Allah sent fruit basket from Jannah to Mariam when she was in her
room worshiping Allah. After giving birth to Prophet Isa, why did Allah ask her
to shake the palm tree to get dates to eat and did not provide her with a fruit
basket from Jannah?
13. What happened to the 40 guys that were surrounding the house of
the Prophet SAW? What did the Prophet do to them before he leaves? Why?
14. What is the name of the cave where is the Prophet was hiding in?
Why did he hide and did not go straight to Makah?
15. Why did the Prophet saw hire a guide man? When did he meet with
this man?
16. Failure to plan is a plan to fail. Explain this statement and how
is it related to the subject of how to depend on Allah?
Notes:
Week [5]:
October 7, 2018
I was
sick. I Missed the class. You are probably saying “Yahoo, no Homework”. Sorry
to disappoint you. There is still a homework for you to do. See below.
Homework:
Write a no less than 600 words essay about Illness and
Forgiveness. Utilize the following links
SICKNESS - A MERCY FROM ALLAH - The Islam Path
Sickness A Mercy from Allah - EveryMuslim.Net
The Hidden Blessings of Illness and Hardship | Islamic
Sunrays .com.
Week [6]:
October 14, 2018
Sweet and Sour
Mercy
Click here to listen to the
class.
Homework:
Listen to the
audio recording of the class, read the notes below and answer the following
questions thoroughly. Short answers are not accepted. You must send me the
homework via email hw@zeiny.net
1. Mention the story of Prophet Mosa and
the Righteous slave of Allah. Hint use Quran 18:60-82
2.
What are the two
types of knowledge? Explain.
3.
What are the two types
of mercy?
4.
In the first event,
which was damaging the boat, who was the one who made the decision? Which type
is this mercy?
5.
In the second event,
which was killing the boy, who was the one who made the decision? Which type is
this mercy?
6.
In the third event,
which was fixing the wall of a ruined house, who was the one who made the
decision? Which type is this mercy?
7.
Explain how is that
you may pray for something, which is bad for you, or hate something, which is
good for you. Give few examples.
8.
Mention few lessons
that you learned from the story.
9.
When something bad
happens to you, are you allowed to feel sad and cry? You should change your
sadness to what?
10. When something good happens to you, are you allowed
to feel joy and happiness? You should change your Happiness to what?
11. When you are worried, you should change your worry to what?
Notes:
Week [7]:
October 21, 2018
Pillars of
Faith - Believe in Allah - Part I.
Click here to listen to the class.
Homework:
Listen to the audio
recording of the class, read the notes below and answer the following questions
thoroughly. Short answers are not accepted. You must send me the homework via
email hw@zeiny.net
1. About the example of the people who live in 2D, can we see them? Can they see all of us? What would they see if you place your finger in their 2D plane? Use the metaphor of the people who live in 2D to show that we are being seen and accessed from higher dimensions.
2. Do we see everything in existence? Mention few examples of things
that exit but we don’t see them.
3. Mention the Hadith where Angle Gabriel came to the Prophet and
mentioned to him the pillars of Islam, Pillars of Faith and Ihsan. Write only
the part that mentions the pillars of faith.
4. What did Allah give us so that we can see him by our brains? What
do we have to understand the nature of Allah? Explain.
5.
How many names Allah has given us?
How many names Allah has overall? Write the Hadeeth that proves your statement?
6. What are the two worlds that we have? To which one Allah, his
angels and life after? What world that we live in now? To which world
belong the things that we can feel using any of the five senses?
7. From an Islamic perspective, what is the difference between to
know and to believe? Use the example of the furnace.
8. When the angels ask you the three questions right after death, how
come you can't lie and give the correct answers?
9. Is lying more difficult or saying the truth?
10. Lying takes a lot of brain work and good memory. Mention the
joke of the teacher who quizzed the four students about the flat tire.
11. Compare the punishment in the grave with nightmares.
12. Compare the joy in the grave with sweet dreams.
13. If you want to torture someone in this life, which part (Body or
Soul) you can apply the torture non? How about in the grave? How about in Hell
fire?
Notes:
Notes from
Previous Years:
Week [8]:
October 28, 2018
Pillars of
Faith - Believe in Allah - Part II.
Click here to listen to the class.
Homework:
Listen to the
audio recording of the class, read the notes below and answer the following
questions thoroughly. Short answers are not accepted. You must send me the
homework via email hw@zeiny.net
1.
How much of the
earth population deny the exitance of Allah?
2.
Brief describe
trinity and how does it relate to the Islamic realization of Allah?
3.
What
is monotheism in Quantity and Quality? Explain.
4. Allah is One and is a Unit. Explain/
5. How does Surat Al-Ikhlas present the
image of Allah? In other words, how is Allah described himself in the Surat Al-Ikhlas?
6. Does the Arabic bible use the name Allah to describe God? What is
the significance of this?
7. What is the meaning of that if there is someone up there, let him
touch my back?
8. Why do atheist people go to the extreme of denying the presence of
God?
9. The example of the ship that leaves India and reach New York. How
does this example affirm the presence of God?
10. What is the meaning of the statement “God did not create man. Man
created God”?
11. Denying the existence of the Creator (the God) seems unreasonable.
What caused the atheists to don’t want to admit the existence of the Creator?
12. Explain how is the Christian religion was used as a slave mind
management system? What was the response of the smart slaves?
13. Explain why people deny the existence of God when they see
tragedies, for example the holocaust. What was their argument?
14. Why does Allah allow evil to happen?
15. Tell the joke about selling parts of the paradise by the church in
the old days.
16. Explain the Islamic views of the theory of evolution. Does Islam
reject the entire theory?
17. Why the racist people draw monkeys to describe black people? How
does this relate to the theory of evolution?
18. Explain how theory of evolution (Darwin’s theory) would justify
the killing of humans.
19. What is the Arian race? Who promoted its superiority over all
other races? Explain the disaster that resulted from that.
20. In the incident of the woman who forgot her children in the garage
where the door is closed and the engine is running, what is the first lesson
she was taught in the grief management classes? How is this lesson related to
the existence of Allah?
21. When we see beautiful painting of nature, how does this make us
feel about the artist and Allah?
22. If every company has a president and every country has a chief,
how is this fact related to the presence of Allah?
23. What is the name of the people who just ignore the presence of
Allah? Briefly describe the religion of Buddhism.
24. Explain logically why does the fact that has faith would do more
charity than the society that doesn’t have faith.
Week
[9]: November 4, 2018
Pillars
of Faith - Believe in Angels.
Click here to listen to the class.
Homework:
Listen
to the audio recording of the class and answer the following questions thoroughly.
Short answers are not accepted. You must email me the homework via email hw@zeiny.net
1. Why is it not appropriate to Allah to do all
tasks by himself? Give examples of tasks that it is not appropriate for Him to
do.
2. What is the Royal way of getting something
done?
3. Body of energy made of what? Can they take
the form of humans? Did Gibril came to the Prophet in
a form of a man? What was the man look like?
4. In the Hadith of Pillars of faith, the Hadith
that we are studying now, who was talking to the Prophet?
5. Angels don’t ever disobey Allah? Why?
6. Do angels go to hell or heaven?
7. Because of the coupling between our bodies
and souls, the body is limiting the soul. Explain that statement in details.
8. What happen when we die, are we going to be
limited to the five senses? Are we going to be able to see the world of unseen?
Explain in details.
9. Give an example of how Jinn and angels can go
through walls.
10. Complete: In order for Jinn to be seen by us,
they have to ............, and they will be controlled by our laws of
....................
11. What is the interface between the body and
the soul? How can the soul control the body? How can you split them apart so
that you don't feel the pain during surgery?
12. Mention the names and the role of 11 angels.
of different angels doing different tasks.
13. The wandering angels. Don’t enter a house
that has a dog or picture. Don’t attend a lecture or a talk where a woman is
not wearing proper hijab.
14. What is the job of the Guardian Angels? Do
they do their job with both good and bad guys or only good guys?
15. Describe the Shytan’s
access to us? Can he have physical access to us?
16. Regarding he angels on the right and left,
who is in charge of the other? Why?
Notes:
Week
[10]: November 11, 2018
Pillars
of Faith - Believe in the Books, the Prophets and the Day of Judgment
Click here to
listen to the class.
Homework:
Listen
to the audio recording of the class and answer the following questions
thoroughly. Short answers are not accepted. You must email me the homework via
email hw@zeiny.net
Faith in Books and Prophets:
|
1. What is the difference between a Prophet and
Messenger? Explain how that |
|
2. Since no more Prophets will be sent, Allah substituted
the Prophet with what? Explain how and why? |
|
3. Did each Prophet teach the same faith
about Allah? Why? Explain. |
|
4. Each Messenger came with different Sharia laws.
Give three examples of differences between the Sharia laws of the Messengers. |
|
5. Explain why the three heavenly religions
teach that the only acceptable religion and way of life is their version of
religion. What would happen if they don’t teach that? |
|
6. Who are the people of the book? Explain do we
consider them the best Non-Muslims. |
|
7. Because Prophets are teachers, what do
they need to teach from? |
|
8. What are the benefits of having books
(scriptures) while the Prophets are alive? What is the use of these books
after the Prophets die? |
|
9. All books now have been changed due to
translations and manipulations except the Quran. Why did Allah declare that
he will be guard the Quran from being lost, manipulate it or changed until
the Day of Judgment? |
|
10. Explain the telephone game and how it affected
the authenticity of previous scriptures? |
|
Belief in the Day of Judgment: |
|
1. If there is no day of judgment, then good guys
and bad guys end up equal. Explain how they are the same. Is it fair? |
|
2. If there is no day of judgment, then it
will make no sense for us to fight our temptations and lower desires. Explain
why. |
|
3. What would you say about a judge who makes
good guys equal to bad guys? How this is related to belief in the Day of
Judgment? |
|
4. What are the three spiritual motivations
that will motivate someone wake up very early in the morning and go to Fajr? |
|
5. How many rounds we have? The true winner is
the one who wins which one of them? Explain. |
Week
[11]: December 2, 2018
Talk
about Bullying in Schools
Optional
homework is to summarize what you learned in a 600 words essay.
Week
[12]: December 9, 2018
Defending Islam against
Stereotypes.
Reply to "Islam Says: Kill
the Infidels".
Reply to "Quran
Says: Kill them where ever you find them"
Does the Quran Really
Sanction Violence Against 'Unbelievers'?
Click here to
listen to the class.
(Optional) See Dr. Yasir
Qadhi lecture about modern Jihadist.
(Optional) See Dr. Yasir
Qadhi lecture about the Reality of ISIS: Modern Muslim Fundamentalism.
(Optional) See Dr. Yasir Qadhi
lecture about Muslims Condemn Terrorism.
(Optional) See Dr. Yasir
Qadhi lecture about American Foreign Policy and the Rise of ISIS.
(Optional) See Reply of the Muslim Scholars to the arguments
raised by ISIS:
Letter in Arabic, Letter in English and Letter in Other Languages.
1. Regarding the expressions “infidels” and “holy war”. Do they exist in
Islam? What were the unbelievers called in . See
Surat Al-Kafiron [109].
2. See
Surat Al-Kafiron [109] gives a
message of tolerance. How? Explain?
3. Write Ayat Quran (2:190 to 192) that include the
statement "Kill them where ever you find them". Explain the Ayat and
then explain the deception of those who quoted this part of Ayah to stereotype
Islam.
4. What were the
instructions given by the Prophet saw to the armies before they left to battle?
5. Quran (5:5) Proves that Islam is very
tolerant with other religions. Explain in details.
6. If Muslim men can marry
non-Muslim women, then why Muslim women can't marry non-Muslim men?
7. Explain the rule in (Quran 60:8-9). Show the tolerance in these
Ayat.
8. Why 911 is considered to
be an evil act in Islam? Explain how the name of Islam was hijacked in 911?
9. Do radicals kill
non-Muslims only? Explain. Why do they kill Muslims?
10. Vigilantism is
prohibited in Islam. Explain why and relate to 911.
11. We and the people of the
book worship the
same God Quran [29:46]. How do we reach to God and how do Christians
reach to God?
12. How do we Muslim view
trinity?
13. Do Muslims honor Jesus?
How is Jesus viewed in religions other than Islam and Christianity?
14. Bin Laden said, it is
either with us or you are a hypocrite. George W. Bush said, you are either with
us or with the terrorists. Do you agree with these statements? What is your
position from these statements?
Notes:
Week
[13]: December 16, 2018
Defending Islam against
Stereotypes.
Reply to " Muslims are
terrorists and Islam is the religion of terror ".
Click
here to listen to the class.
(Optional) See Dr. Yasir
Qadhi lecture about modern Jihadist.
(Optional) See Dr. Yasir
Qadhi lecture about the Reality of ISIS: Modern Muslim Fundamentalism.
(Optional) See Dr. Yasir
Qadhi lecture about Muslims Condemn Terrorism.
(Optional) See Dr. Yasir
Qadhi lecture about American Foreign Policy and the Rise of ISIS.
(Optional) See Reply of the Muslim Scholars to the arguments
raised by ISIS:
Letter in Arabic, Letter in English and Letter in Other Languages.
Homework:
The
example of Hitler
1.
How do you reply to
the ones who say Bin Laden shares the same religion as yours?
2.
What religion was
Hitler? How many people did he killed?
3.
Is it right to
blame Hitler’s acts on his religion?
4.
Do we need to
tell the Cristian people that Hitler doesn’t represent Christianity or they
already know that?
5.
Do we need to
tell the Cristian people that Bin Laden doesn’t represent Christianity or they
already know that?
The example of Anti-Abortion Terror
1.
What is the
Christian Army of God?
2.
What was its
motives?
3.
How many kinds and counts of violence it did?
4.
Was the Christian
Army of God motivated by Christianity?
5.
Is it okay to
blame Christianity for it? Why or why not?
The example
of IRA
1.
What is the IRA?
What was its religion?
2.
What did it do to
be considered an Army of terror?
3.
What was its
motives?
4.
How many kinds
and counts of violence it did?
5.
Was the Christian
Army of God motivated by Christianity?
6.
Is it okay to
blame Christianity for it? Why or why not?
The example of Timothy McVeigh
1. Who is Timothy McVeigh? What religion he was?
2. What did McVeigh do? How many were his victims?
3. What was the motive behind McVeigh acts?
4. Can we say that McVeigh acts represent America? Why or Why not?
5. What was the end of McVeigh?
The example of Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
Use information from this
link to answer the questions below
1.
What is the KKK?
What was its religion?
2.
What was its motives?
3.
How many kinds
and counts of violence it did?
4.
Was the KKK
motivated by Christianity?
5.
Is it okay to
blame Christianity for it? Why or why not?
Other Arguments:
1. What is the point of mentioning these examples?
2. All American citizens were hurt once, but we American Muslims were
hurt twice. Why? Explain.
3. When a Muslim commits a crime, the media says a Muslim committed a
crime. But when a Christian commit a crime, the media mention the name of the
criminal only and no mention of his religion. Why and what have been the
motives of the media for doing this?
4. Mention the joke about the Muslim who saved a little girl from
being killed by a dog.
5. Was the intent of 911 just to damage the building and kill people?
What is the other reason, which related to unity? Did the terrorist achieved
these objectives?
6. Who was Saddam Husain? Was it appropriate for the media to go to
the Masjid inquire about Sadam Husain and Bin Laden?
What is the right place to inquire about them? Why?
7. Use math to prove that the Al-Qaeda is an extreme radical
exception? Would the exception prove the rule to be true or false? Can you have
an exception if you don’t have a rule?
6. Do people who take Islam seriously be considered radicals? Why?
7. Watch this video about
interview of the news to me and my family right after 911 and mention my
arguments and concerns, and if you agree or disagree.
8. (Optional) Who are the ones who carried the largest number of acts
of terrorism in US?
9.
(Optional) What
was the the deadliest act of terrorism within the United States prior to
the September 11 attacks?
10. (Optional) Summarize the arguments by President Obama regarding
Islam in this video clip.
11. (Optional) In Islam, do we build coalitions based on justice or
religion? Do you prefer to have a bad Muslim friend or a good non-Muslim
friend?
Notes:
Week [14]:
January 6, 2019
I
was sick. I Missed the class. You are probably saying “Yahoo, no Homework”.
Sorry to disappoint you. There is still a homework for you to do. See below.
Homework
Listen
to the lecture “The American Dream”
by Dr. Sheikh Yasir Qadhi and summarize it in an essay of 600 words or more.
Week [15]: January 13, 2019
Answering Stereotypes
about Islam: Islam Spread by Force
Reply to: Islam is a
religion that spread with the sword. Islam is a religion that doesn’t tolerate
other religions. In a Muslim state, you have to either give up your religion or
get killed.
Click here to listen
to the class
Click here to see a presentation about the subject
Homework:
Listen
to the audio recording of the class and answer the following questions thoroughly.
Short answers are not accepted. You must email me the homework via email hw@zeiny.net
A. What made people say that about Islam?
B. Summarize the following replies to the
Stereotypes that Islam spread by the sword (violence).
1. Muslims made the invaded county better than it
was.
2. When the British occupied Egypt, did they make
Cairo better than London? When the French occupied Algeria, did they make
Algeria better than Paris. When Gorge Bush occupied Iraq, did he make Bagdad
better than Washington or worse than Tijuana?
3. Indonesia.
4. The sword opens a land not a heart.
5. Did the Islamic law accommodate non-Muslim minorities
living in Muslim countries?
6. Non-Muslim worship places are preserved intact.
7. Quran said that "No compulsion in
religion" Quran (2:256).
C. What is the difference between liberation and
occupation.
D. (optional) What is the story of the Coptic
guy and the son of Amro Ibn Al-As عمرو بي العاص.
E. What is the inquisition? What religion was
the one who did the inquisition? where and when did it start? What was the
purpose? How long did it last? Did Muslims do any inquisition?
Notes:
Answers:
1) From the Quran: The following verses from the Quran forbid
imposing the religion on people. See Quran 2:256 [There is no compulsion in
religion], 50:45 [Can’t force them to believe]
and 10:99 [Your Lord could have made all
people on earth believe. Who are you (Mohamed) to compel them against the will
of God].
2) The sword opens a land and doesn’t open a heart.
In other words, the sword was used to expand the empire not to expand the
religion.
3) In Islamic law (Sharia), any declarations,
consent, marriage, divorce, contractual agreement, decision, testimony imposed
by force is invalid.
4) Using force to compel religion produces nothing
but hypocrisy. The person who is under the threat of the sword will not love or
practice Islam nor will teach it to his/her children.
5) Unlike the history of Christianity that has 400
years of inquisition; the history of Islam doesn’t have
any form of inquisition.
6)
7) The person who loves and practice Islam, as well
as teach Islam to his children is not the one under the threat of the sword.
8) The largest population of Muslims in the entire
world is Indonesia. Islam came to it without any
military interaction. It was because Muslim merchants came in the country to do
business.
9) The difference between occupation and liberation
is that occupation makes the invaded country worse than it was while libration makes it better than it was. Muslims made the
invaded countries better than it was, even better than their own home land. An
example of this fact is Spain. Click here to see how Muslims made Spain
better than the homeland they came from, including Mecca and Madina.
10) Muslims protected the worship places of other
religions. See the pictures of 2000 year old churches in Muslim courtiers that
have been protected by Muslims during the Islamic rulings.
Very Old Churches in Egypt still exist and respected to date.
11) Church of Nativity in Bethlehem where Jesus
was born still exist and respected to date in Palestine.
12) Crying Wall for Jews still exist and respected
to date in Palestine.
13) Muslim states had many minorities that have been
living safely for hundreds of years and their places of worship are protected
by the Islamic state.
14) The Islamic Law (Sharia) has a well established law that protects
the rights of people of other faith that live in a Muslim state. The Christians
and the Jews are called the people of the book in the Islamic Law. In
addition, Other non Muslims are called the people of Dhima in
the Islamic Law.
15) Islam allows a Muslim man to have a wife who is
Christian or Jewish Quran 5:5. This is the highest level of
tolerance when the most beloved person to your heart and the mother of your
children is from a different religion.
16) Islam allows Muslims to have relationships with Non Muslims who are not fighting against the religion of
Islam Quran 60:8 & 9 [It basically says that God
doesn’t mind if you have non Muslim Friends and loved
one but he doesn’t want you to have relationships with enemies of the Religion]
17) The reason people entered Islam after the
Muslims used the sword to open the land was because they saw the difference
between the old government and the new government. They have seen what Islam
brought them and they liked it.
18) What Happens to the Muslims who Denounce Islam
Publicly.
• Islam has a policy that says that if you don’t
harm the religion, the religion will not harm you.
• At the time of the Prophet, enemies of Islam
used to embrace Islam in the morning and then denounce it in the evening
announcing publicly that Islam is a bad religion. It was a tactic to drive
people away from Islam. The Quran mentions this fact Quran 3:72.
• To stop people from doing this, the Prophet
order that the ones who embrace Islam and then denounce it publicly be given
three days chance to correct themselves publicly or get killed.
• If people denounce Islam privately, nothing
happens to them.
• During the three days all what the person has to
do is to declare publicly that he was wrong and then he/she will let go. It is
an easy way out.
• This rule applies only in Muslim countries.
Week
[16]: January 20, 2019
Defending Islam
against Stereotypes
Reply to Sharia (Islamic Law) is
too Harsh
Click
here to listen to the class Part I
Click here to
listen to the class Part II
Homework:
Listen
to the audio recording of the class and answer the following questions
thoroughly. Short answers are not accepted. You must email me the homework via
email hw@zeiny.net
1. Is
Sharia intended to protect the public space or the private space?
2. Does
Sharia allows spying on the people in their private places?
3. Why
they say that Sharia is harsh. Mention the punishments of the examples given in
class and you can add your own as well.
4. Indeed
Sharia is harsh on criminals. How does this affect the number of future
criminals and victims?
5. Justice
to the favor of criminals (easy punishment) versus justice to the favor of
victims (harsh punishment). Explain how and why Sharia is kind to victims.
6. Explain
the benefit from a crime / cost of punishment ratio, i.e. the worth of a crime.
Explain how Islam keeps this ratio low? Give some numerical examples to explain
the point?
7. Difference
between the rich thieves and the poor thieves in terms of how harsh the
punishment in both cases?
8. When
did Omar R stop cutting the hands of the poor thieves?
9. What
are the five objectives of Sharia? Explain each one with examples. Use this link.
Notes:
Worth
of a crime = (100% - Chances of getting away) × amount of
stolen money
Five objectives of Sharia
1.
Protection of religion.
2.
Protection of human life
3.
Protection of intellect
4.
Protection of progeny
5.
Protection of wealth
Use this link for
explanation.
Week [17]: January 27, 2019
Defending Islam against Stereotypes
Sharia (Islamic Law) is too old
Click
here to listen to the class
Homework:
Listen
to the audio recording of the class and answer the following questions
thoroughly. Short answers are not accepted. You must email me the homework via
email hw@zeiny.net
1. Is
there any country without laws?
2. If
we reject the divine laws, what is the remaining alternative?
3. Who
is the only one that can make fair laws and why? What happen when humans make
laws?
4. Today's
societies are different than the societies 1400 ago. How come Sharia laws still
apply now after 1400 years when it was revealed to the Prophet SAW? How
come the Sharia still applies to all society at all places?
5. What
is the fixed part of Sharia that does not change with time and place and what
is the variable part that changes with time and/or place?
6. Do
the Ten Commandments still apply till today? Do they change with time and place?
7. Explain
the difference between Hallal and Haram versus wise
and unwise?
8. Does
Sharia allow freedom for Haram or corruption? What freedoms the Sharia provides?
9. If
Sharia allows freedom between Hallal alternatives,
how do you select which alternative to use?
10. Give
an example how the Capitalism laws change with time and place (Lake Tahoe for
example). Comment on that. Which value is controlling? Moral values control the
economy or the economy is controlling moral values in Capitalism?
11. Capitalism
is based on selfishness and greed. Give two examples.
12. Mention
three haram things in doing business?
Notes:
Last
Year Notes:
